SH-137 begins at an intersection with US-60 in Twin Bridges State Park.

Approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the turn, the highway passes through the unincorporated location of Ottawa.

[2] The highway's terminus lies 1 mile (1.6 km) further north, at an intersection with SH-10.

However, it continued north from there; its northern terminus was in Quapaw at what was then US-66 (present day US-69 Alternate).

In 2002, the portion of highway north of SH-10 was stripped of its designation as SH-137 and turned over to Ottawa County, truncating the route to its present-day termini.